Water-soluble derivatives of testosterone and process



wherein M is analkali metal, such as sodium, potassium or lithium. The invention also relates to the preparation of these compounds.

Water-soluble derivatives of steroid hormones are of interest when it is desired to rapidly administer large doses of hormone. When administering such large doses it is necessary to obtain water-soluble derivatives of steroid hormones having a sufiiciently high solubility in wa ter so that the injection ot-large volumes of liquid is avoided.

It is an object of the present invention to obtain watersoluble derivatives of a steroid hormone and more particularly alkali metal salts of testosterone-3,S-disulfaminobenzoate.

It is a further object of the invention to produce water- ,soluble testosterone derivatives such as the disodium salt of testosterone-3,S-disulfamino-benzoate.

It is a still further object of the invention to obtain water-insoluble high-molecular weight quaternary ammonium salts of testosterone-3,S-disulfamino-benzo'ate, which can be readily purified.

Another object of the invention is to obtain testosteronef 3,5-dinitrobenzoate, useful as an intermediate in the process.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

We have found that the alkali-metal salts of testosterone- 3,5-disulfamino-benzoate are quite water-soluble and in the case of the disodium salt of testosteronelS-disulfamino-benzoate, the solubility in water is inexcess of 17% at 20 C.

The compounds of our invention are represented by the testosterone derivatives of benzoic acid having the structural formula:

United States Patent 0 wherein R is a member selected-from the grbupconsisting of -NO and -NHSO R radicals and "Ri represents a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkali metals and high-molecular-wight quaternary ammonium compounds. A

In order to obtain compounds according to the present invention, testosterone-3,5 dinitrobenzoate is first prepared, preferably by esterification of the hormone with an esterifying derivative of 3,5-dinitrobenzo'ic acid, such as its chloride, anhydride or a mixed anhydride. ,The testosterone is dissolved in an organic solv'ent and the esterifying derivative of :3,5-diiiitr'obenz'oic acid is K1 thereto. If the acid chloride of 3,5-'dinitrobenzo'ic sets is used, it is also necessary to add a nitrogen compound to the solution in order .to' reactwith theracid produced. This nitrogen compound can be any capable ot fg'oin'gjinto solution. We prefer to use pyridine. The reaction occurs at room temperature, but is expedited at elevated temperatures of the order of 50 C. The ester, thus formed, is reduced by treatment with a concentratedaqueous solution of sodium bisulfite and sodium sulfite in the presence of Water and a third miscible organic solvent, which makes it possible to dissolve the testosterone-3,5-dinitrobenzoate in the reaction mixture. One such solvent is dimethylformamide, The operation is "carried out iat elevated temperatures preferably under refiux. Reduction er the intro-radicals takes plac, iziiith simultaneous iormation of the water-soluble disodiuiii disulfaminate. Thereafter, in order to purify the water soluble salt,- a high-molecular, weight quaternary ammonium .salt capable of producing a water-insolublesalt by double decomposition, such as benzyldimethyl-2-[2- (.p 1,1.,-3,3 tetramet-hylbutyl phe'noxy.) ethoxyl -.ethyl ammonium chloride,- 7.

CH: (HI) hereinafter referred to by its commercial name Hyamiiie 1622 is added to the solution. The insoluble Hyarriiiie 1622 salt of testosterone-3,5-dis'ulfamino-ben2oate is separated. The salt is dissolved in a water-immiscible solvent, such as chloroform, methylene chloride, etc., and purified by washing with water. The quaternary ammonium salt is then transformed into the corresponding potassium salt by doub1edecotnpositiojn with a potassium salt which is soluble in a' lower alkanol, such as ethanol. The free acid of testosterone- 3,5-disulfamino-benzoate is prepared by acidification and extraction, or the free acid is prepared by means-of an acid. ion exchange resin. The free acid is neutraliied with sodium hydroxide. The sodium salt is isolatedby adding a water-miscible solvent in which it is insoluble and purified, if necessary, by recrystallization from water.

The following examples illustrate our invention without limiting it. The examples will enable others skilled in the art to understand our invention more completely. The melting points are instantaneous meltingfpoints determined on a Maque'nneblock.

pyridine, and then, without interrupting the agitation and" while taking care that the temperature of the mixture ,did

not rise above 50 C., -14 gm. of 3,5-dinitrobe'n'zoyl chloride were added and the mixture was heated for an additional 45 minutes at 50 C. After allowing it to cool to room temperature; benzene was adiidi The mixture 3 hours more. which contained a slight amount of insoluble matter, was

from the last traces of starting material.

phase was decanted and passed over charcoal, the charcoal was washed with water, the wash water was com- 'upon addition of crushed ice.

was washed firstwith hydrochloric acid to eliminate the pyridine, then with water, then with a saturated aqueous solution of sodium carbonate, then again with water. The benzene solution was dried over magnesium sulfate, filtered and evaporatedfto dryness. 19.2 (95% of the theoretical yield) of the raw 3,5-dinitrobenzoate of testosterone having a melting point of 208209 C. were obtained. This raw product was sufiiciently pure for the chloroethane, soluble in benzene, slightly soluble in ether and acetone, and insoluble in 'water, acids and alkalies.

64.5; H%, 6.2; o%,23.0; N%, 6.0. compound is not described in-the literature.

EXAMPLE II 1. FORMATION OF THE QUATERNARY AMMONIUM SALT i 210 cc. of' double-distilled dimethylformamide were added to 25 gm. of testosterone-3,S-dinitrobenzoate, ob-

tained according, to the method describedin Example I. 'The' mixture was heated to 95 C., and then 550 cc. of

water were introduced slowly without letting the temperature of the solution drop below 90 C. Thereafter, while maintaining the temperature between 90 and 95 C., 104 cc. of a mixture of aqueous solutions of sodium bisulfite and sodium sulfite, composed of 73 cc. of a 35 B. sodium bisulfite solution and 31cc. of .a solution of sodium sulfite (prepared by adding 7.2 cc. of N sodium hydroxide to 24 cc. of a 35 B. solution of sodium bi- I I ethanol heated to about 50 to 60 C. A small amount of Found: C%, V

,Tmgisforr nation of testosteroiie-3,5-dinitrobenzoate into.

,the dipotassium salt of testosterone-3,S-disulfaminosulfite), were added all at once. The mixture was heated to mild reflux in an atmosphere of nitrogen while stirring, and at the end of half an' hour of refluxing, 105 cc. of double distilled dimethylformamide were added. Thereafter, the mixture was refluxed at the boiling point for The resulting orange-yellow solution,

allowed to stand overnight. The following morning the insoluble. matter, consisting of 1.47 gm. of unreacted dinitrobenzoate of testosterone, was filtered off and the filtrate was extracted with methylene chloride to free it The aqueous bined with the filtrate. To this combined solution was added a 10% solution of the quaternary ammonium salt, Hyamine 1622, until foam formed over the entire The quaternary ammonium saltprecipitated in an oily state and solidified The supernatant liquor, which did not precipitate by adding the quaternary ammonium solution, was decanted. -The solidified presurface; this required approximately 500cc. of the quaternary ammonium solution.

cipitate was washed with ice water,and then taken up in 250 cc. of chloroform. The chloroform solution of the benzyl-dimethyl 2 [2 (p-l,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl-phe-- no xy)-ethoxy]-ethyl-ammonium salt of testosterone-3,5-

:disulfaminobenzoate was washed with water until the wash water no longer contained chlorides, and then the 2. FORMATION OF THE POTASSIUM SALT The evaporation residue was taken up in anhydrous" leafle ethanol was distilled off in order to entrain the chloroform retained by the quaternary ammonium salt, and thereafter, the solution was brought up to a volume of about 300 cc. by addition of ethanol. After-cooling the ethanol solution to room temperature, cc. of a 10%solution of anhydrous potassium acetate in absolute ethanol was added slowly without interruption and while stirring. After a few minutes of continued agitation, the mixture was allowed to stand in the. absence of humidity overnight. The following day, the raw dipotassium salt of testosterone-3,S-disulfamino-benzoate was rapidly filtered ofi, washed first withethanol on a filter and then by trituration, filtered again and dried in a vacuum. Thereafter, it was purified by recrystallizing 2 or 3 consecutive times in hot water (2.5 volumes in the first recrystallization and using the minimum amount of hot water thereafter), and allowing the crystallization to terminate at +5 C. After filtration and drying, the dipotassium= salt of testosterone-3,S-disulfamino-benzoate was obtained in the form of a solvated white solid (9.4% water, determined according to Fischer). For. the solvated product: [a] =-l-l09 (C=0.7% in H O). The product is very soluble in hot water, slightly soluble in cold water, and insoluble in alcohol, ether and chloroform.

Analysis.C H O N S K =658.86. Calculated: C%, 47.39; H%, 4.9; 8%, 9.73; N%, 4.25; K%, 11.86', Found: C%, 47.7; H%, 5.0; 8%, 9.9; N%, 4.2; K% 11.6.

The ultra-violet spectrum determined in aqueous solu- EXAMPLE HI Formation of the disodium salt of testosterone-3,5-disulfamino-benzoate 2i5 gm. of the dipotassium salt described above were dissolved in 175 cc. of lukewarm distilled water. The

soluiton was then cooled to'15" C. and the acid was liberated by passing the-solution over an acid Dowex (polystyrene-base) ion-exchange resin, using a column of approximately mm. in height and 13 mm. in diameter. The column was then washed with water. The efiluent liquid was withdrawn when the pH of the efiluent liquid dropped to 3 and the withdrawal operation was stopped when the pH of the eflluent liquid rose again to 4. By

adding ,5 N sodium hydroxide to the eflluent liquid, the pH was maintained between 3 and 4 until all of the efiluent liquid was collected, and thereafter, it was neutralized by the addition of ,4 N sodium hydroxide until the pH was between 6.0 and 6.2. The total consumption of ,1 N sodium hydroxide was 68 cc. The solution was concentrated under vacuum while maintaining the temagitation. A precipitate formed which was agglomerated by making the solution lukewarm. The solutionwas cooled to room temperature, filtered and washed with absolute ethanol by trituration. After drying, .1482 gm. of the 'disodium'salt of testosterone-3,S-disuIfaminO-benzoate [oz] =+104.5 (C=0.65% in water) were obtained. The product was solvated with water (10.5% water, determined according to Fischer); solubility in water at 20 C. equals 17.5%; solubility inwater at 30 C. equals 25%. The product was insoluble in alcohol,

ether and chloroform and was decomposed by aqueous acids and alkalies. The product may be recrystallized from 2 volumes of hot water and is in the form of white This compound is not described the literature.

, The preceding examples were given purely for descriptive purposes. Such changes and modifications as would occur to one skilled in the art may be made without departing from the spirit of our invention. For example, the temperatures may be varied, the solvents may be changed, other high-molecular weight quaternary ammonium salts may be used in place of Hyamine 1622. Other such high-molecular weight quaternary ammonium salts are Hyamine 2389 described in the Index of Modern Sulfonated Oils and Detergents (vol. H) by J. P. Sisley, page 373, as being the chloride of a quaternary ammonium base, Cequartyl BE mentioned on page 287 of the Index as being based on ammonium salts, Arquad 2C which according to the same index on page 261 is said to be dilauryl dimethyl ammonium chloride and Zephiro which according to the same index on page 286 is said to be alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride. Moreover, other solvents than those indicated above may be used, provided they dissolve the quaternary ammonium salt and do not dissolve the alkali metal salts of testosterone-3,S-disulfamino-benzoate. Similarly, it is possible to go directly from the water-insoluble quaternary ammonium salt to the sodium salt by double decomposition without introducing novelty or improvement into the present process. These and various other changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. The process of preparing water-soluble derivatives of testosterone which comprises treating testosterone with an esterifying derivative of 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid under esterifying conditions, isolating the testosterone- 3,5-dinitrobenzoate, dissolving the tetosterone-3,5-dinitrobenzoate in a solvent, adding water and an aqueous solution of alkali metal bisulfite and alkali metal sulfite, heat- 'ing to reflux for a time sufiicient to form the alkali metal salts of testosterone-3,S-disulfamino-benzoate and iso lating said alkali metal salts of testosterone-3,5-disu1famino-benzoate.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein said alkali metal salts of testosterone-3,S-disulfamino-benzoate is purified by adding a high-molecular weight quaternary ammonium salt which forms an insoluble precipitate with the testosterone-3,S-disulfamino-benzoate, separating said insoluble precipitate, dissolving said precipitate in an organic solvent, adding an alkali metal salt soluble in said organic solvent and isolating the alkali metal salt of testosterone- 3,S-disulfamino-benzoate- 3. The process of preparing water-soluble derivatives of testosterone which comprises dissolving testosterone in an organic solvent, adding pyridine and 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid chloride, isolating the testosterone-3,5-dinitrobenzoate formed, dissolving the testosterone-3,5-di

nitrobenzoate in dimethyl formamide, adding water and an aqueous solution of alkali metal bisulfite and alkali metal sulfite to the solution, heating the mixture to'ieflux for a time sufficient to form alkali metal salts of testosterone-3,5-disulfamino-benzoate and isolating said alkali .metal salts of testosterone-3,S-disulfamino-benzoate.

4. The process of claim 3, wherein said alkali metal salt of testosterone-'3,S-disulfeimino-benzoate is isolated by dissolving in water and adding a high-molecular weight quaternary ammoninm salt which forms an insoluble precipitate. with the testosterone-3,S-disulfaminobenzoate,

separating said insoluble precipitate, dissolving said precipitate in a lower alkanol, adding an alkali metal salt soluble in lower alkanol and isolating the alkali metal salt'of testosterone-3,S-disulfamino-bnzoate.

% ogglj q...

5-. Testosterone derivatives of benzoic acid having'thq structural formula wherein R is the NH-SO R radical and R represents a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkali metals.

6. Testosterone-3,S-dinitrobenzoate having thestructural formula:

I NO,

benzoatehaving the formula:

8. The dipotassium salt of testosterone-3,S-disulfaminobenzoate having the formula:

9. The disodium salt of'testosterone-3,S-disulfaminobenzoate having the formulas :@1Q.'Thediacid salt of testosterone-3,5disu1famin0- butyIphenoxy) -ethoxy]ethyl-ammonium salt of testosbenzoate having the structural formulaz v .terone-3,S-disulfaminobenzoate.

BYE-BOSE References Cited in ihfi le of this patent O 1 V e e V I o-c UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 1 l ILTHOSH 2,888,384 1 Murray t a1, May 26, 1959 OTHER- REFERENCES r 0..

10 Gould at 11.: I. Am. Chem: Soc., Vol.79, pages 11. The benzyl dimethyl-Z-[2-(p-1,1,3,3-tetramethy1- 

1. THE PROCESS OF PREPARING WATER-SOLUBLE DERIVATIVES OF TESTOSTERONE WHICH COMPRISES TREATING TESTOSTERONE WITH AN ESTERIFYING DERIVATIVE OF 3,5-DINITROBENZOIC ACID UNDER ESTERIFYING CONDITIONS, ISOLATING THE TESTOSTERONE3,5-DINITROBENZOATE, DISSOLVING THE TETOSTERONE-3,5-DINITROBENZOATE IN A SOLVENT, ADDING WATER AND AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF ALKALI METAL BISULFITE AND ALKALI METAL SULFITE, HEATING TO REFLUX FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO FORM THE ALKALI METAL SALTS OF TESTOSTERONE-3,5-DISULFAMINO-BENZOATE AND ISOLATING SAID ALKALI METAL SALTS OF TESTOSTERONE-3,5 DISULFAMINO-BENZOATE.
 5. TESTOSTERONE DERIVATIVES OF BENZOIC ACID HAVING THE STRUCTURAL FORMULA 